What GCSEs Do I Need for Medicine? 2027 Entry Requirements

Aug 23

Last reviewed: August 2026

GCSEs matter when you apply to medical school—but not every medical school uses them in the same way.

One university may simply check that you have a grade 6 in English Language and Maths. Another may turn your best eight or nine GCSE grades into points and use that score to decide whether you receive an interview.

Some medical schools have no formal GCSE requirement, although that doesn't necessarily mean they are suitable choices for applicants with weaker GCSE results.

🔵 The key point: there is no single set of GCSE requirements for medicine. Your best medical school choices will depend on your actual grades, the subjects you studied and how each university selects applicants.

This guide focuses mainly on standard-entry undergraduate medicine courses starting in 2027. Gateway, foundation year, graduate-entry and international-only courses may have different academic and eligibility requirements.

What GCSE grades do you usually need for medicine?

For many UK medical schools, a typical minimum GCSE profile includes:

English Language at grade 6 or above
Mathematics at grade 6 or above
Biology and Chemistry at grade 6 or above
Alternatively, Combined or Double Science at grades 6-6 or above
Between five and eight GCSEs in total, often at grades 6 to 9

However, these are only general patterns.

Some medical schools accept grade 5s in important subjects. A small number accept grade 4s, while others expect five, six or even seven GCSEs at grade 7 or above.

If you are still working towards your GCSEs, a sensible competitive target is:

Grades 7 to 9 in as many subjects as possible
At least grade 6 in English Language and Maths
Strong grades in Biology, Chemistry and Physics or Combined Science

That target will keep more medical schools open to you—but it is not a universal entry requirement.

🟢 A grade 6 can meet the published minimum at many universities. It may not be competitive at a medical school that ranks or scores GCSEs.

Why the minimum GCSE requirements can be misleading

The word “minimum” causes a great deal of confusion.

Meeting a medical school’s published GCSE requirements may make you eligible to apply. It does not necessarily mean you are likely to be shortlisted for interview.

Medical schools generally use GCSEs in one of three ways.

1. GCSEs used as a threshold

A threshold medical school checks whether you have achieved certain grades in specific subjects.

Once you pass that academic check, your GCSEs may play little or no further role in interview selection. Your UCAT score, contextual information or other parts of your application then become more important.

Imperial, Exeter, King’s College London and UCL are examples of universities with relatively limited published GCSE subject requirements.

2. GCSEs scored or ranked

Some medical schools award points for each GCSE grade.

At these universities, an applicant with eight or nine grades at 8 or 9 may receive a much stronger academic score than someone who has only just met the minimum requirements.

Birmingham, Lancaster, Leeds, Lincoln, Liverpool, Newcastle, Oxford and Queen’s University Belfast all use GCSE performance in their selection processes in some form.

3. GCSEs considered contextually

Contextual admissions attempt to assess your results in relation to the opportunities available to you.

This may include:

The performance of your school
Free school meal eligibility
Care experience
Your home postcode
Local progression to higher education
Other educational or personal disadvantage

For example, Kent and Medway Medical School compares an applicant’s attainment with their school's performance. Oxford also considers GCSE achievement in its educational context.

🩵 A set of GCSEs should never be judged in isolation. Two medical schools may treat the same grades very differently.

Which GCSE subjects do you need for medicine?

English Language

English Language is one of the most commonly specified GCSE subjects.

Grade 6 is a frequent requirement, although there are exceptions:

Buckingham accepts grade 4 in English
Bristol lists a grade 4 literacy requirement
Anglia Ruskin requires grade 5 in English Language
Exeter requires grade 6 in English Language
Imperial requires grade 6 in English Language
Manchester requires English Language and does not accept English Literature as a substitute

Do not assume that English Literature will always count.

Queen Mary and Glasgow are examples of medical schools that may accept English Literature, but several others specifically require English Language.

Mathematics

Grade 6 in GCSE Maths is common, but the range is wide:

Buckingham accepts grade 4
Anglia Ruskin requires grade 5
University of Lancashire lists grade 5
Many medical schools require grade 6
Bristol requires grade 7

Check the exact wording used by each university, particularly if you have taken alternative mathematics qualifications.

Biology, Chemistry and Combined Science

You do not normally need to have studied Triple Science to apply for medicine.

Many medical schools accept Combined Science or Double Science instead of separate GCSEs in Biology, Chemistry and Physics. The required grades may be expressed as 6-6, 7-7, or BB/AA.

However, policies differ.

Keele, for example, accepts Combined Science but does not accept a single-award Combined Science qualification. Edinburgh requires Biology and Chemistry at grade 7, although Double Award Science at 7-7 can replace the separate science requirements.

How many GCSEs do you need?

Depending on the university, you may need:

Five GCSEs
Six GCSEs
Seven GCSEs
Eight GCSEs
Nine GCSEs
No specified number at all

Liverpool expects nine GCSEs to be completed by the end of Year 11. Lancaster uses the highest-scoring eight subjects. Queen’s Belfast scores the best nine, while Newcastle scores the best eight and can normalise the result if an applicant has taken fewer than eight.

The number of GCSEs you studied can therefore be almost as important as the individual grades.

Medical school GCSE requirements for 2027 entry: university-by-university guide

The summaries below cover the GCSE element of each standard-entry course. They do not replace the full admissions policy, which may also include A-level subjects, the UCAT, contextual criteria, resit restrictions and interview selection rules.

Aberdeen to City St George’s

University of Aberdeen: Requires grade 6 in English Language and Maths. Biology and Physics are recommended, and the university expects a combination of grades 6 to 9, particularly in science subjects.

Anglia Ruskin University: Requires grade 5 in English Language, Maths and two science subjects. Its relatively accessible GCSE threshold makes the UCAT and wider selection process especially important.

Aston University: Requires at least six GCSEs at grade 6, including English Language, Maths, Chemistry and Biology or Double Science. Aston warns that most applicants ranked highly enough for interview have grades 7, 8 and 9.

Bangor University: Requires grade 6 in English or Welsh Language, Maths, Biology and Chemistry or Double Science at 6-6, plus four other GCSEs at grade 6.

University of Birmingham: Requires at least grade 6 in English Language, Maths, Biology and Chemistry or the accepted Double Science equivalent. Seven GCSEs are included in Birmingham’s academic scoring.

Brighton and Sussex Medical School: Normally requires grade 6 in English and Maths. Eligible contextual applicants may be considered with grade 5 in these subjects.

University of Bristol: Requires grade 7 in Mathematics but only grade 4 in English. This unusually large difference between its numeracy and literacy requirements is worth noticing.

Brunel University of London: The Medical Schools Council entry lists at least five GCSEs at grade 6, with Maths at grade 5 and two relevant science subjects at grade 6.

University of Buckingham: Requires only grade 4 in English and Maths. It has a January start, a different course code and its own selection assessments rather than the usual UCAT-based process.

University of Cambridge: Has no specific formal GCSE requirements. Cambridge still considers applicants’ overall academic records, so the absence of a published GCSE minimum should not be taken to mean entry is easy.

Cardiff University: Requires eight GCSEs, including English Language and Maths at grade 6, Double Science at 7-7 or separate Biology and Chemistry at grade 7, and four further subjects at grade 6.

City St George’s, University of London: Requires five GCSEs at grade 6 or above, including English Language, Maths and Science. GCSE resits are accepted.

Dundee to King’s College London

University of Dundee: If Biology or Chemistry is not being studied at A-level, the relevant GCSE subject is required at grade 7. Maths and English are required at grade 6 if they are not being studied at A-level.

Edge Hill University: Requires at least five GCSEs at grade 6, including Biology, Chemistry, English Language and Maths. Double Science at 6-6 is accepted instead of separate Biology and Chemistry.

University of Edinburgh: Requires grade 7 in Biology, Chemistry, English and Mathematics. Double Award Combined Science at 7-7 can replace the two separate science GCSEs. Examination grades are normally expected at the first attempt.

University of Exeter: Requires only grade 6 in English Language at GCSE. School-leaver selection then depends heavily on the other academic requirements and admissions test.

University of Glasgow: Requires grade 6 in English Language or English Literature. Biology at grade 6 is also required if it is not studied at A-level.

University of Greater Manchester: Requires at least five GCSEs at grades 6 to 9, including Maths, English Language and two sciences. For 2027 entry, this course is available to international students only and does not list an admissions test.

University of Hertfordshire: Requires five GCSEs at grade 6 or above, including English, Maths and Double or Triple Science. The course is currently available to international students only.

Hull York Medical School: Requires six GCSEs between grades 9 and 4, with English Language and Maths at grade 6. Applicants without an equivalent GCSE system may be assessed through an adjusted UCAT score.

Imperial College London: Requires grade 6 in English Language and publishes no other GCSE or Scottish National requirement. Imperial does not normally accept resits, so its apparently limited GCSE requirement should still be approached carefully.

Keele University: Requires five GCSEs at grade 7 or above. English Language, Maths and the sciences must be at least grade 6. Single-award Combined Science is not accepted.

Kent and Medway Medical School: Requires five GCSEs at grades 9 to 6, including English Language, Maths, Biology, Chemistry and Physics, or Double Science plus another subject. Its selection process compares an applicant’s achievement with their school's performance.

King’s College London: Requires grade 6 in English Language and Maths. Its published GCSE threshold is relatively limited, with the UCAT contributing to the ranking used to select applicants for interview.

Lancaster to Queen’s University Belfast

Lancaster University: Requires eight GCSE subjects completed by the end of Year 11. The best eight are scored, with grades 7 to 9 receiving two points and grade 6 receiving one point. Applicants need at least 13 points, including grade 6 in Maths, English Language and the required sciences.

University of Lancashire: The Medical Schools Council listing states grade 5 in GCSE Maths and English. Applicants must still meet the university’s separate A-level, UCAT and selection requirements.

University of Leeds: Requires at least six GCSEs at grade 6, including Maths, English Language, Biology and Chemistry or Dual Science. Leeds explicitly warns that applicants presenting only the minimum profile are unlikely to be shortlisted because scoring is based on eight GCSEs.

University of Leicester: Requires grade 6 in English Language, Maths and two sciences, including Chemistry and Biology or Double Science. Academic qualifications and the UCAT are weighted equally before interview.

University of Lincoln: Requires at least six GCSEs at grade 7 or above, including Biology and Chemistry or Double Science. English Language and Maths must be at least grade 6. GCSE and UCAT points are combined to rank applicants.

University of Liverpool: Expects nine GCSEs by the end of Year 11, including English Language, Maths, Biology and Chemistry or the accepted Combined Science equivalent at grade 6. Applicants normally require at least 15 points from their best nine GCSEs.

University of Manchester: Requires at least seven GCSEs at grade 7 or above. English Language, Maths and at least two sciences must be at least grade 6. English Literature cannot replace English Language.

Newcastle University: Publishes no specific GCSE subject requirements, but this does not mean GCSEs are ignored. Newcastle scores an applicant’s best eight GCSE or equivalent Level 2 grades when selecting for interview.

University of Nottingham: Requires at least six GCSEs at grade 7, including Biology or Human Biology and Chemistry. English Language and Maths must be at least grade 6. The six GCSEs should normally be studied over two years and achieved in one sitting.

University of Oxford: Has no formal GCSE minimum, although applicants are expected to have a basic education in Biology, Physics and Mathematics. A contextualised GCSE attainment score is combined equally with a normalised UCAT score to produce the preliminary shortlist.

University of Plymouth: Requires seven GCSE passes at grade 4 or above, including English Language, Maths and two science subjects. This is one of the more accessible published GCSE thresholds, although applicants must still compete through the wider selection process.

Queen Mary University of London: Requires six GCSEs with a profile of 777666, including Biology, Chemistry, Maths and either English Language or English Literature. Double Award Science can substitute for the separate science GCSEs.

Queen’s University Belfast: Its basic GCSE subject requirements can be as low as grade 4 in Maths, English Language and Physics or Double Science where these are not offered at a higher level. However, Queen’s scores the best nine GCSEs, making a strong overall GCSE profile valuable.

Sheffield to the University of East Anglia

University of Sheffield: Requires five GCSEs at grade 7, with at least grade 6 in Maths, English Language and the sciences. Dual Award Science is accepted.

University of Southampton: Standard school-leaver applicants require seven GCSEs at grade 6 or above, including English Language, Maths and Biology and Chemistry or the accepted Combined Science equivalent.

University of St Andrews: Requires at least five GCSEs at grade 7, normally taken at one sitting. Applicants who have already achieved their A-levels may sometimes be considered with fewer than five grade 7 GCSEs.

St Mary’s University Twickenham: Requires six GCSEs at grade 6, including Maths, English Language, Biology and Chemistry or Dual Science. Eight GCSEs are used in scoring, and the university warns that applicants presenting only the minimum are unlikely to be shortlisted. The course is currently international-only.

University of Sunderland: Requires five GCSEs at grade 7, with at least grade 6 in Maths, English Language, Biology, Chemistry and Physics. GCSE resits are accepted before application, with a maximum of two resit attempts per subject.

University College London: Requires grade 6 in English Language and Maths. Its published selection process uses the total UCAT score to shortlist applicants after academic requirements are met.

University of East Anglia: The Medical Schools Council record available when this guide was reviewed listed six GCSEs at grade 7, including Maths and two sciences, plus English Language at grade 5. However, that record displayed a September 2026 start date, so applicants should verify the university’s final 2027 requirements directly before applying.

Which medical schools score GCSEs for 2027 entry?

The following policies deserve particular attention because GCSEs are not simply a pass-or-fail requirement.

Birmingham

Birmingham scores seven GCSEs. Meeting the minimum core subject grades is therefore only the starting point.

Lancaster

Lancaster converts the best eight GCSEs into points. Grades 7, 8 and 9 receive more credit than grade 6, and applicants must reach the specified total.

Leeds

Leeds scores eight GCSEs and states that applicants applying with only the minimum grades are unlikely to be shortlisted.

Lincoln

Lincoln combines GCSE points with points from the individual UCAT sections and the Situational Judgement Test.

Liverpool

Liverpool scores the best nine GCSEs. Grades 7 to 9 receive two points and grade 6 receives one point.

Newcastle

Newcastle is easy to misunderstand. It publishes no specific GCSE minimum, but the best eight GCSE or equivalent grades are scored.

Oxford

Oxford has no formal minimum, but contextualised GCSE performance contributes half of the initial combined GCSE and UCAT shortlisting score.

Queen’s University Belfast

Queen’s scores the best nine subjects. A grade 9 receives four points, grades 7 and 8 receive three, grade 6 receives two, and grades 4 and 5 receive one.

St Mary’s and Leeds

Both publish a minimum of six GCSEs at grade 6 but warn that candidates presenting only that minimum are unlikely to be shortlisted because eight GCSEs are scored.

⚠️ Do not describe Newcastle or Oxford as “low-GCSE medical schools” simply because they have no formal minimum. Both use GCSE attainment in shortlisting.

Unusual medicine admissions policies for 2027 entry

Oxford has no formal minimum—but GCSEs remain highly important

Oxford’s policy is one of the clearest examples of why applicants must read beyond the minimum entry requirements.

There is no formal GCSE threshold, but contextualised GCSE performance is combined 50:50 with the UCAT for the initial shortlist. Applicants without GCSEs have their UCAT weighted more heavily.

Newcastle scores GCSEs despite having no specific subject requirement

Newcastle does not insist on particular GCSE subjects or grades. It does, however, score the best eight Level 2 results.

A candidate with eight very high GCSE grades may therefore be ranked more strongly than someone who has simply interpreted “no specific requirements” as meaning that GCSEs do not matter.

Queen’s Belfast gives grade 9 additional value

Many GCSE-scoring medical schools group grades 7, 8 and 9 together.

Queen’s Belfast is unusual because grade 9 receives more points than grades 7 and 8. This can benefit applicants with a particularly strong top-nine profile.

Kent and Medway contextualises every school-leaver applicant

Kent and Medway does not rely solely on a simple postcode flag. It compares an applicant’s grades with their school’s performance.

This means the context in which you achieved your GCSEs can directly affect how your academic record is interpreted.

Several newer courses are international-only

For 2027 entry, the standard medicine courses at the following universities are listed as international-only:

University of Greater Manchester
University of Hertfordshire
St Mary’s University Twickenham

Home applicants should not use these as one of their medicine choices unless the published eligibility rules change before application.

Greater Manchester does not list the UCAT

The University of Greater Manchester’s international-only course lists no admissions test. Its selection process includes assessment of the personal statement followed by online MMIs and other tests.

Buckingham starts in January

Buckingham’s course starts in January rather than the usual September or October. It accepts grade 4 in English and Maths and uses its own Multiple Mini Assessment and interview process.

It also has an earlier published application deadline than the usual medicine timetable, so applicants must check the course page carefully.

St Mary’s accepts only the first UCAT attempt

St Mary’s states that only the result from the applicant’s first UCAT attempt will be accepted. Its minimum GCSE profile is also unlikely to be sufficient for shortlisting because it scores eight GCSEs.

Some universities do not use predicted grades

Several medical schools place little or no weight on predicted A-level grades during shortlisting.

For example, Aston does not use predicted grades when ranking applicants for interview, while Liverpool, Manchester, Nottingham and Sunderland also publish selection processes in which achieved academic information, the UCAT or other tools are more significant.

This makes it particularly important to understand the whole admissions process rather than concentrating on predicted grades alone.

Do medical schools accept GCSE resits?

There is no national GCSE resit policy for medicine.

Some medical schools accept GCSE resits freely. Others restrict the number of attempts, the subjects that can be retaken or how quickly the resit must be completed.

Medical schools with restrictive resit policies

Examples include:

Aberdeen: does not normally accept resits
Birmingham: generally does not consider GCSE or A-level resits without accepted extenuating circumstances
Cardiff: GCSE resits must usually be completed within 12 months, except English Language
Bangor: applies a similar restricted resit window
Dundee: does not accept resits
Edinburgh: expects grades at the first attempt
Glasgow: does not accept resits
Imperial: does not normally accept resits
Nottingham: allows no more than one GCSE subject resit within specified core subjects
St Andrews: permits a GCSE resit where it is needed to meet a specific subject requirement
St Mary’s: considers resits only in exceptional circumstances

Medical schools with more flexible GCSE resit policies

Examples include:

Aston
City St George’s
Edge Hill
Exeter
Hull York
Manchester
Plymouth
Sunderland
UCL

Even where resits are accepted, the university may stipulate that you must achieve the required grade before applying.

🟢 Never book a GCSE resit on the assumption that every medical school will accept it. Check the universities you are genuinely considering first.

Can I apply to medicine if my GCSE grades are not all 7s, 8s and 9s?

Yes.

You do not need straight grade 9s to study medicine. You do, however, need to apply strategically.

1. Check your core subjects first

Record your grades in:

English Language
Mathematics
Biology
Chemistry
Physics
Combined or Double Science

A low grade in English Language or Maths may rule out more universities than the same grade in an optional subject.

2. Separate threshold schools from scoring schools

If most of your GCSEs are grades 5 and 6, avoid filling your choices with universities that heavily score the best eight or nine results.

Look instead for universities where your GCSEs satisfy a defined threshold and selection subsequently depends more heavily on the UCAT or interview.

3. Make the UCAT your strongest controllable factor

By the time you apply, your GCSEs are usually fixed. Your UCAT score is not.

A strong UCAT can open doors to universities that shortlist primarily through the admissions test once you meet their academic threshold.

Prepare for the UCAT with Blue Peanut’s doctor-led UCAT course

4. Check contextual eligibility

Do not assume that contextual admissions are only for applicants with very low household incomes.

Criteria may include:

Free school meals
Care experience
Young carer status
Refugee status
School performance
Low progression to higher education
Local deprivation measures
Estrangement from family
UCAT bursary eligibility

Anglia Ruskin, for example, gives eligible widening-access applicants an uplift to their UCAT score. Some eligible applicants may receive a guaranteed interview or offer, subject to the remaining requirements.

5. Consider eligible gateway or foundation year courses

Medicine with a gateway or foundation year can have different GCSE and A-level requirements.

These courses are not simply “easier medicine courses”. Most have strict widening-participation, residency, school or postcode eligibility conditions.

Use the Medical Schools Council course filter to check whether you qualify before considering one.

6. Build a balanced application

Your university choices should reflect:

Your GCSE profile
Your achieved or predicted A-levels
Your UCAT result
Your contextual eligibility
Each medical school’s selection formula
Whether the university accepts resits
Your likely interview strengths

Choosing four famous universities without studying their shortlisting policies is not a strategy.

Frequently asked questions about GCSEs for medicine

Can I study medicine with grade 5s at GCSE?

Potentially, yes.

Anglia Ruskin requires grade 5 in English Language, Maths and two sciences. University of Lancashire lists grade 5 in English and Maths, while contextual applicants at Brighton and Sussex may be considered with grade 5 in English and Maths.

You must still meet all the university’s other requirements and achieve a sufficiently competitive UCAT or selection score.

Can I study medicine with a grade 4 at GCSE?

A limited number of options may remain.

Buckingham accepts grade 4 in English and Maths. Plymouth requires seven GCSE passes at grade 4, although the required subjects must be included. Hull York accepts a wider set of GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 but still requires grade 6 in English Language and Maths.

A grade 4 in a core subject can significantly reduce your options, so check each university individually.

Is grade 6 good enough for medicine?

Grade 6 meets the published minimum at many medical schools, particularly in English Language, Maths and the sciences.

However, grade 6 may not be competitive where eight or nine GCSEs are scored. Leeds and St Mary’s explicitly warn that applicants presenting only the minimum grade profile are unlikely to be shortlisted.

Do I need Triple Science for medicine?

No.

Many medical schools accept Double or Combined Science. You must achieve the specified double grade, which may be 6-6 or 7-7 depending on the university.

Check whether your qualification is Double Award, Trilogy, Core and Additional Science or a single-award qualification. Keele does not accept single-award Combined Science.

Does English Literature count instead of English Language?

Sometimes, but not always.

Queen Mary and Glasgow accept English Literature in their published requirements. Manchester specifically states that English Literature cannot replace English Language.

Unless a university clearly says otherwise, treat English Language as the safer required qualification.

How many GCSEs do I need for medicine?

There is no universal number.

Some medical schools specify five GCSEs, while others require six, seven, eight or nine. Cambridge has no specific GCSE requirement, while Liverpool expects nine GCSEs by the end of Year 11.

Do GCSEs matter if I have excellent predicted A-level grades?

Yes.

Predicted A-level grades do not automatically compensate for missing GCSE subject requirements. Some medical schools do not even use predicted grades in interview ranking.

You must satisfy each university’s GCSE policy independently unless it publishes a specific exception for applicants with achieved A-levels or degrees.

Do medical schools count grade 8 and grade 9 differently?

Sometimes.

Several universities award the same points to grades 7, 8 and 9. Queen’s Belfast is unusual because a grade 9 receives more points than grades 7 and 8.

Are GCSE requirements different for graduate applicants?

They can be.

Some universities waive parts of the school-leaver GCSE requirement for graduates, while others still require English Language, Maths, or science GCSEs. Graduate-entry medicine courses also have separate requirements from standard-entry medicine.

Graduates should check the policy for their exact course code rather than relying on the school-leaver requirements.

Your GCSEs get you through the first screen—your interview can win the offer

GCSEs are only one stage of the medicine application.

Once you meet the academic requirements and earn an interview, your grades no longer speak for you. You must show that you can communicate clearly, think safely, understand medical ethics, reflect on experience and respond calmly under pressure.

Blue Peanut is led by practising doctors, including Dr Abdul Mannan, an NHS GP, medical school tutor and former MBChB interview assessor with more than two decades of experience in medical education. Our teaching is built around the standards and behaviours medical schools look for—not generic interview scripts.

The Blue Peanut Medical School Interview Course provides structured, doctor-led preparation for both Multiple Mini Interviews and traditional panel interviews.

For students who need realistic practice under timed conditions, our Mock MMI Circuits recreate the pace, pressure and station changes of a real medical school interview, with detailed feedback after each station.

Final GCSE checklist for 2027 medicine applicants

Before choosing a medical school, check:

✅ Do you meet the exact English Language requirement?
✅ Do you meet the Maths requirement?
✅ Are your science qualifications accepted?
✅ Does the university accept Combined or Double Science?
✅ Is English Literature accepted as an alternative?
✅ Does the medical school score your best eight or nine GCSEs?
✅ Are GCSE grades adjusted for school or contextual information?
✅ Does the university accept your resits?
✅ Must your GCSEs have been completed by the end of Year 11?
✅ Are predicted A-level grades used in shortlisting?
✅ Is the course open to home applicants, international applicants or both?
✅ Have you checked the policy for the correct course code?

The final answer: what GCSEs do you need for medicine?

No single GCSE profile guarantees eligibility for every UK medical school.

For the widest choice, aim for grades 7 to 9 across your subjects, with strong results in English Language, Maths, Biology and Chemistry or Combined Science.

But applicants with grade 5s and 6s can still apply successfully by choosing universities that use GCSEs as a threshold rather than weighting them heavily.

The most important step is not finding a list of supposedly “easy” medical schools. It is matching your individual academic profile to the universities whose selection methods give you the strongest realistic chance of receiving an interview.

🔵 Do not apply based on reputation alone. Apply where your GCSEs, UCAT, contextual circumstances and interview potential work together.

Official sources and relevant links

The Blue Peanut Team

This content is provided in good faith and based on information from medical school websites at the time of writing. Entry requirements can change, so always check directly with the university before making decisions. You’re free to accept or reject any advice given here, and you use this information at your own risk. We can’t be held responsible for errors or omissions — but if you spot any, please let us know and we’ll update it promptly. Information from third-party websites should be considered anecdotal and not relied upon.